Shiva Purana
by J. L. Shastri | 1950 | 616,585 words
This page relates 鈥渇rom satyavrata to sagara鈥� as found in the Shiva-purana, which, in Hinduism, represents one of the eighteen Mahapuranas. This work eulogizes Lord Shiva as the supreme deity, besides topics such as cosmology and philosophy. It is written in Sanskrit and claims to be a redaction of an original text consisting of 100,000 metrical verses.
Disclaimer: These are translations of Sanskrit texts and are not necessarily approved by everyone associated with the traditions connected to these texts. Consult the source and original scripture in case of doubt.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Chapter 38 - From Satyavrata to Sagara
[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]
1. By his devotion to 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 his compassionate nature and his vow, Satyavrata nurtured and looked after 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补鈥檚 wife.
2. O sage, he killed deer, boars and buffaloes of the forest and he cast off their flesh near the hermitage of 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补.
3. In virtue of his being the priest and the teacher the sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 looked after the holy centres, cows, clans and the harem.
4. 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 nursed more and more grudge against Satyavrata forced by the gravity of what was destined to happen.
5. 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 had not prevented the father from exiling the son from the kingdom because there was sufficient cause for the same.
6. When the seventh step is taken (round the fire in the altar) the marriage becomes valid. But Satyavrata did not understand this secret.
7. Only for the satisfaction of his father did he do the same thinking that the family customs should remain unviolated.
8. When he was abandoned by his father 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 did not interfere on his behalf. The sage proclaimed that he would never install him in this kingdom.
9-12. During the twelve years of famine and drought Satyavrata observed his vow. When there was no meat available the prince saw the wish-yielding cow of 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补. O sage, the king who observed the ten tenets[1] of Dharma killed the cow either due to anger or greed or exhaustion or hunger. The meat of the same he utilised to feed 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补鈥檚 son. On hearing of it the sage 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 became angry and said.
痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 said
13. If the two iron stakes thrust by me fail I shall fix another cruel one.
14. Your transgression is threefold. You have displeased your father, killed the cow of your preceptor and used things unsprinkled with holy water.
15-16. He called him 罢谤颈艣补峁卥耻 and ever since he is known as 罢谤颈艣补峁卥耻. When 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 returned he was pleased with 罢谤颈艣补峁卥耻 for having maintained his family during his absence. When pressed to choose a boon the prince chose it.
17. When there was drought for twelve years he had helped his family, therefore the sage anointed him in the kingdom of his father and officiated as priest in his coronation.
18. Ever as the gods and 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 were watching, the saintly lord 痴颈艣惫腻尘颈迟谤补 made him ascend heaven in his physical body.
19. His wife Satyarath膩, hailing from the family of Kekayas[2] bore him a son who was named 贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补.
20. That king 贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补 is known as Trai艣a峁卥ava. He is famous as the performer of the 搁腻箩补蝉奴测补 sacrifice and as an Emperor.
21. 贬补谤颈艣肠补苍诲谤补鈥檚 son Rohita was famous. Rohita鈥檚 son was 痴峁沰补 and 叠腻丑耻 was born of T峁沰a.
22. Haihayas and 罢腻濒补箩补峁単丑补蝉 removed that king. O brahmin, he was very virtuous.
23. 叠腻丑耻 begot a son. Sagara was born with poison. Reaching the hermitage of Aurva, he was saved by 叠丑腻谤驳补惫补.
24. Securing fiery missiles from 叠丑腻谤驳补惫补 king Sagara conquered the earth after killing 罢腻濒补箩补峁単丑补蝉[3] and Haihayas.[4]
25. He defeated 艢补办补蝉,[5] 叠补丑奴诲补办补蝉, 笔腻谤补诲补蝉[6], Taga峁嘺s[7] and 碍丑补艣补蝉.[8] He established a good religious cult and ruled over the earth virtuously.
艢aunaka Said:鈥�
26. How was he born with poison? How did he conquer the 碍峁迟谤颈测补蝉? O son of 厂奴迟补, please narrate this in detail.
厂奴迟补 said:鈥�
27. O sage, listen with attention. I shall narrate what 痴补颈艣补尘辫腻测补苍补 said on being asked by Janamejaya, son of P膩r墨k峁ta.
P膩r墨k峁ta said:鈥�
28. O sage, how was the king born with poison? How did he kill the kings? Please narrate this.
痴补颈艣补尘辫腻测补苍补 said:鈥�
29. O dear, O lord of the subjects, the kingdom of 叠腻丑耻 who indulged in vices was captured by Haihayas and 罢腻濒补箩补峁単丑补蝉 and the 艢补办补蝉.
30. Five groups of 搁腻办峁蝉补蝉 are mentioned, viz.鈥�Yavanas,[9] 笔腻谤补诲补蝉,[10] 碍腻尘产辞箩补蝉,[11] Pahlavas[12] and 叠补丑奴诲补办补蝉.[13]
31. O king, these five groups of 搁腻办峁蝉补蝉 pursuing activities of exploit on behalf of the Haihayas seized the kingdom of 叠腻丑耻 and gave it to the Haihayas.
32. Having lost the kingdom, 叠腻丑耻 went to the forest along with his wife. Distressed that he was he abandoned his life.
33. One of his wives belonging to the house of Yadu followed him in pregnancy. Due to jealousy as a result of her expected son before her, the co-wife administered poison to her.
34. She made the funeral pyre of her husband ready and was about to enter the fire, Aurva 叠丑腻谤驳补惫补 mercifully prevented her.
35. The queen stayed in his hermitage for the sake of her child in the womb. She served the sage, mentally remembering 艢颈惫补.
36. Once when the 惭耻丑奴谤迟补 and the Lagna were good when the five planets were ascendant the child was born along with the poison administered to the queen.
37. In that auspicious Lagna, O excellent sage, the king Sagara, of mighty arms, was born.
38. Aurva performed the postnatal rites of that prince. He taught him Vedas and 艢腻蝉迟谤补蝉 and instructed him in the use of missiles.
39. The blessed Sagara, earnestly learnt the lore of the fiery missile, in accordance with the rules of procedure, the missile that is unbearable even to the gods.
40. The infuriated Sagaras, equipped with this miraculous and other weapons and with his own natural strength, killed the Haihayas.
41. This Sagara became foremost among the famous, earned fame in all the worlds and established piety on the earth.
42. Then the 艢补办补蝉, Yavanas, 碍腻尘产辞箩补蝉 and Pahlavas, being destroyed sought refuge in 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补.
43. After deceitfully compelling them to enter into an agreement, 痴补蝉颈峁ａ弓丑补 of great brilliance offered them freedom from fear and brought them to king Sagara.
44. At the instance of his priest Sagara maintained his vow by destroying their mode of worship and effecting alterations in their hair style.
45. He released the 艢补办补蝉 after shaving off half of their heads. Complete tonsure was assigned to Yavanas and Kambojas.
46. 笔腻谤补诲补蝉 were given close hair-cut and Pahlavas were asked to grow beard and moustache. All of them were deprived of the right of the Vedic study and the use of 痴补峁峁璳腻谤补.
47. All those 碍峁迟谤颈测补蝉 who had been deprived of virtue were re-instated in piety. The entire earth was conquered by him virtuously.
48. Thus conquering the earth virtuously the king instituted a horse-sacrifice.
49. O sage, the sacrificial horse was let loose, followed by his sixty thousand sons. It reached the shore of the ocean in the south-eastern region.
50. It was stealthily removed by Indra, king of the gods, for his selfish ends near the sea-shore and taken underground.
51. In order to search out the horse, king Sagara caused the country around dug up through his sons.
52. While it was being dug near the ocean, they met the sage Kapila, the primordial 笔耻谤耻峁 of cosmic form.
53. As he woke up from trance all but four of the sixty thousand sons were burnt by the fire from his eyes.
54. The four who were spared were Har峁ketu, Suketu, Dharmaratha and 笔补帽肠补箩补苍补. They became the kings establishing his line.
55. Lord 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 granted him five boons, viz. flourishing family, intelligence, fame, the ocean as son and wealth.
56. By that virtue he attained the fatherhood of ocean. He regained the sacrificial horse from the ocean.
57. He performed a hundred horse-sacrifices and became famous. He acquired wealth bestowed by 艢颈惫补. He propitiated the deities by performing the sacred rites.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Cp. Manu. VI.91 [or 92]
dh峁泃i岣� k峁m膩 damo'steya峁� 艣aucamindriyanigraha岣� |
dh墨rvidy膩 satyamakrodho da艣aka峁� dharmalak峁峁嘺m ||
[2]:
Kekayas lived between the Jhelum and the Beas and had their capital at Girivraja (Girijak or Jal膩lpur) on the Jhelum.
[3]:
These constituted one of the five clans of Haihayas, the other four being 痴墨迟颈丑辞迟谤补, Bhoja, Avanti and 罢耻峁囜笉颈办别谤补.
[4]:
[5]:
The original home of the 艢补办补蝉 was the Valleys of the Jaxartes and Oxus. But they had settled in India after they had conquered the country.
[6]:
笔腻谤补诲补蝉 are identical with the P膩rthians who lived in the Khorasam region.
[7]:
The Taga峁嘺s or 罢补峁単补峁嘺蝉 had their headquarters at Ta峁単a峁嚹乸ura near Jyotirma峁環a in Garhwal (Ep. Ind. Vol. XXXI. P. 286).
[8]:
According to Al-Biruni, the Khasas were a Himalayan tribe now represented by the Khakkas of Kashmir.
[9]:
Yavanas are identical with the Indo-Greeks who settled in the northwestern part of India and adjoining lands.
[10]:
See No. 35 above.
[11]:
碍腻尘产辞箩补蝉 lived in the land between the Rajauri Valley in Kashmir and the Hindukush mountains. Some scholars locate the tribe near Badakhshan beyond the Hindukush.
[12]:
Pahlavas or the Pahlavis are identical with the Persians.
[13]:
叠补丑奴诲补办补蝉 remain unidentified.